Syrian authorities announced on Saturday the seizure of a shipment of weapons allegedly prepared for smuggling across the Syrian-Lebanese border, amid rising tensions along the frontier.
The Rif Dimashq Media Directorate said the weapons were confiscated in the al-Nabk area of the Qalamoun region, north of Damascus, but provided no details about the quantity or type of arms.
In a brief statement, the Internal Security Directorate said the shipment had been intended for smuggling into Lebanon.
Officials said the operation was part of ongoing efforts to combat organized crime and curb cross-border trafficking.
The seizure comes as concerns grow along the Syrian-Lebanese border following the Syrian army’s decision to reinforce its deployment along areas with both Lebanon and Iraq in a bid to tighten security and prevent the smuggling of weapons and narcotics.
Sources in Damascus told Asharq Al-Awsat that Syrian authorities are reviewing all options to address tensions with Hezbollah in border areas.
They said Damascus does not favor intervention, while emphasizing Syria’s support for Lebanon’s stability and the authority of the Lebanese state.
The sources added that Syria’s position remains aligned with that of Arab and regional countries supporting efforts to contain the current escalation.
Meanwhile, Hassan Abdul Ghani, spokesman for the Syrian Ministry of Defense, denied reports suggesting Syria intends to intervene militarily in Lebanon.
In an interview with a Lebanese television channel, he said the military buildup near the Lebanese border was a precautionary defensive measure rather than an offensive deployment.
Since the eruption of the US-Israel war on Iran and Israel intensified strikes against Hezbollah in Lebanon, Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa has reiterated Syria’s support for Lebanon’s stability and security, backing the Lebanese government’s efforts to restore sovereignty and strengthen state authority.
During a three-way phone call earlier this week with French President Emmanuel Macron and Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, al-Sharaa stressed the importance of opening a new chapter in Syrian-Lebanese relations based on cooperation and coordination between the two countries, reported the Syrian state news agency SANA.
Israel had previously destroyed many Hezbollah positions and weapons depots in Syria before the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in 2024, including stockpiles in border areas of Homs and Damascus countryside.
Local sources say weapons were looted from former regime barracks and militia caches following the collapse of Assad’s rule.
While Syrian authorities continue campaigns to collect weapons and restrict them to state control, armed groups and criminal networks are reportedly picking up war remnants left behind in abandoned military sites.
The danger posed by such remnants has been underscored by recent incidents. Earlier this month, a missile left over from the former regime exploded in a metal workshop in the industrial zone of Sweida while it was being dismantled, killing five people and injuring three.
On Friday, two separate explosions linked to war remnants occurred in Homs and Aleppo. In Homs, more than 31 civilians were injured when a missile exploded inside an abandoned military barracks in the Abbasiya residential district.
In al-Atarib, in western Aleppo province, three civilians, including two children, were killed and eight others wounded when leftover munitions exploded inside a house.
